Nathan for You (2013–…): Season 3, Episode 8 - The Hero - full transcript
Nathan tries to prove that there's a hero inside every one of us.
- Good evening.
Right now, I'm on a rooftop
in the heart of historic
downtown Los Angeles,
overseeing
the final preparations
for what could be
one of the most
astonishing events
to ever be broadcast
on television,
an event that could change
a man's life forever.
This is Corey,
an ordinary guy whose
life is in a rut.
But two weeks ago,
I secretly took over
Corey's entire identity
with one goal in mind:
to transform
a totally unremarkable man
into a national hero.
How will I do it?
Well, if everything
goes as planned,
in just moments,
a crowd below
will be inspired as Corey
steps off this rooftop
and performs a death-defying
tightrope walk for charity.
But what no one will know
is that the man
who's really walking that wire
will be me.
[suspenseful music]
I've always believed
that there's a hero
inside each
and every one of us.
So nine months ago,
to inspire you,
I began working
on a secret project
to prove that even
the most unlikely people
have the potential
for greatness.
Can anyone become a hero?
Well, tonight,
you're about to find out.
♪
When I decided I wanted
to transform someone's life,
I knew I needed
to find a person
who was beyond hopeless.
So I sent out
a team of producers
to scour food courts,
coffee shops, gas stations,
and comic book stores,
looking for people
who wanted a better life.
The producers told them
they were recruiting
for a new reality show,
in which participants
would receive a life makeover.
And after an exhaustive
search that lasted weeks,
someone finally caught my eye.
- My name is
Corey Calderwood, and, uh...
I work at an arcade
right now three days a week.
- Corey was single,
stuck in a dead-end job,
and lived with his parents.
He didn't seem to have
any life plans whatsoever,
so I paid him a visit
at his home
in Ventura, California,
with an offer to change
his life forever.
Are you happy
with where you're at
in your life right now?
- Uh...
Most of the time,
I'd say I have those moments
where you feel like
it could be better, you know?
There's things
that I still want,
I guess.
- Corey spends
most of his days
caring for his parents' house
where he still lives,
playing video games,
and organizing
his collection of
"Magic: The Gathering" cards.
- Just a fun little way
to pass some time.
- But since his mom and stepdad
are away in Hawaii
on business most of the year,
his grandparents have become
his main caregivers.
And they, too, would like
to see more from Corey.
- He has a great
potential.
He just doesn't
either know how to
achieve it
or to get into it.
He just seems to be
gliding through
life right now.
- Just slip-sliding away.
- Slip-sliding away.
- Corey was
the perfect candidate.
But I had to make sure
he was willing
to play by my rules.
I should tell you,
that you won't have
much information
throughout this process.
And once we get started,
you will be
completely cut off
from the outside world.
- All right.
That is interesting.
- But I can tell you
that if you do this,
by the time I'm done,
you will reemerge
as a national hero.
So...
Are you in?
- Yeah.
- You sure?
- Sure.
- With Corey on board
and a legal liability waiver
signed,
I could now begin the process
of learning everything
about him, as my plan
would soon require me
to secretly take over
Corey's life.
- My stepdad travels
for his work.
I definitely find braces
to be really cute,
for some reason.
I like alfredo pasta.
And I worked at
a call center.
I've worked at
a recycling factory.
My favorite movie
of all time was "Tommy Boy."
I just say "cool beans"
a lot.
- Cool beans.
- Cool beans.
- But learning facts about
Corey wouldn't be enough,
as my plan would require me
to physically become him.
So I asked him to give me
a tour of his bedroom,
with the real purpose
of secretly
studying his mannerisms
and the way he moved.
- Well, normally,
I mean--
I just go on for
a little bit.
- But to pull this off,
my resemblance to Corey
would have to go further.
So the next day, we told him
he'd have to take
a routine physical
to make sure he was fit enough
to participate in the show.
But what Corey didn't know
is that the doctor
was actually four-time
Emmy-nominated makeup artist
Vincent Van Dyke,
who, in the guise of
performing some
routine medical tests...
- So this is gonna just
test for epilepsy.
I'm just gonna have you
close your eyes, okay?
- Was able to secure
our most crucial asset
for my transformation:
a full 3-D laser scan
of Corey's face.
[dramatic music]
- All right,
thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
- No problem.
- With his digitized
facial map on file,
I had it sent
to a 3-D printer
to create
a life-size replica bust.
And once complete, it was
delivered to Vincent's studio
in Burbank, where he began
the process of casting the mold
for the latex prosthetic
that would turn me
into Corey Calderwood.
But for what
I was about to do next,
I had to get
the real Corey out of town.
Just so you don't know
where you're going,
I'm gonna put this bag
over your head.
Is that okay?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Okay.
You can breathe okay?
- Yeah.
- Once I assumed
his identity,
there couldn't be two of us.
Okay, you comfortable?
- Yeah.
- So I needed to
completely isolate Corey
from the rest of the world--
away from phones, internet,
and especially his family.
The road ends here, okay?
So we're gonna go into
a helicopter.
[indistinct chatter]
[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
All right.
- Oh, that's bright.
That is a big
eye adjustment.
- So you can kind of see,
you got everything you need.
I had fully stocked a trailer
with enough supplies
for Corey to survive
while I hid him
in a remote corner
of the Mojave Desert.
Do you like this brand,
Market Pantry?
- I don't think
I've had it before,
but I'll find out.
- Yeah.
After showing him how to use
the portable toilet...
- Oh, yeah.
- I took possession
of his ID cards,
keys, and cell phone.
Nice case.
Where'd you get this?
- Oh, it was
my mom's old phone.
- Oh, yeah, I was thinking
it looks kind of girly.
- I know.
- Yeah.
- Are you guys
gonna come by
and check on me
periodically, or is it,
I'm out here
for two weeks,
then you show up
and I head back?
- Yes.
And with Corey
squared away,
I was off.
[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]
♪
- Walking a wire is one
of the most inspiring acts
a human can do.
So for the past seven months,
I've been teaching myself
how to balance
on a 1/2 inch
steel tightrope.
When I first attempted this,
I couldn't even
stay on the wire
for more than a few seconds
at a time.
But after days and days
and hundreds of hours
of relentless practice,
I began to get
the hang of it.
And just a week
before meeting Corey,
I was finally good enough
to make it across a wire
suspended 5 feet
in the air.
But to turn someone
into a national hero,
I would need the spectacle
to be much bigger.
So I picked a pair of buildings
in downtown Los Angeles
to be the platform
for a death-defying wire walk
80 feet above the ground.
Now I just had to
convince the public
that another man
would be doing it.
So with Corey laying low
in the desert,
I worked round the clock
to master my impersonation.
I love specifically,
like, alfredo pasta.
And once the prosthetic
and custom body suit
were ready,
we began the 4 1/2 hour
application process
that would complete
my transformation
into Corey Calderwood.
And then I headed into
the first media appearance
I had booked for Corey
to promote the big event.
- 95.5, KLOS.
- So you're gonna get on a wire
in downtown Los Angeles,
and it's something--
you're not a tightrope walker?
- No.
- This isn't what you do?
- Just started learning
to wire walk six months ago.
It's totally new for me.
- I can't imagine you
being on a high wire
with thousands,
possibly, of people--
- A lot of people
have been saying that
what I'm doing is inspiring
and heroic, you know?
But I--I really don't
see it that way.
My goal is to raise awareness
for breast cancer
and the charity Metavivor,
specifically.
- Well, then
you are a hero.
- Yes!
- I hope you make it--
- Well, I don't
see it that way.
I don't really see
myself as a hero,
but thank you for
saying that; that is nice.
- Did breast cancer affect you
personally in some way?
- No.
The radio appearance
couldn't have gone better.
And with millions
of people listening,
I was hopeful
it would draw a crowd.
But there was still
one issue I had to resolve.
When I first met Corey,
he opened up to me
about something
he was struggling with.
- It would be good
to be in a relationship.
It gets lonely when
you're not with someone
for a while, you know.
- I was worried that
if his love life
remained unfulfilled, he might
not have the confidence
he would need to step into
his new role as a hero.
So I decided to
create an online
dating account for Corey
that I populated
with photos
from his Facebook page.
I also created some new images
that would help portray
Corey as a sensitive guy
that women
would be unable to resist.
And shortly after uploading
them to his profile,
it seemed to work,
as by the next morning,
I had a response
from a lovely woman
named Jasmine,
who seemed like she might be
a good fit for Corey.
And after telling her
that a camera crew
was following me because
I was gonna be performing
a death-defying wire walk,
she instantly agreed
to go on a date,
which I set
for the following night.
My goal was to establish
a relationship
that Corey would
ultimately take over.
So I tried my best
to portray a realistic
but charming version
of the man whose skin I was in.
I just spend most of
my time in Ventura.
You know?
- Really?
- Not the greatest place.
But it's kind of hard
to talk about myself with
a goddess sitting
right in front of me.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah, sorry.
Is that a bit cheesy,
or...
- No, it's actually
really sweet.
Nobody's ever
called me that before.
- I was immediately
surprised at how well
the date was going,
as in these situations,
I'm usually
a lot more nervous.
- Back in high school, I was
actually on the debate team.
- Wow.
- Yep.
- So what's it like
to debate with you, then?
- Um, I'm pretty good.
- I bet you're
a pretty good arguer.
- Yeah, I'm pretty good
at debating.
- Should we try to
debate something now?
Or--
I don't know.
Just a silly joke.
We don't
have to do that.
And ten minutes in,
not only were
Corey and Jasmine
hitting it off...
- So have you
actually tried
walking across
a building yet?
- No.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- It's gonna be nerve-racking.
- They also had
a lot in common.
- Do you play "Sims" at all?
- I do, yes.
- Yeah, so do I.
It's my go-to pleasure.
- Oh, yes.
It's a guilty
pleasure for me.
I love "Sims."
- Yeah.
- Cool beans.
- I like that expression.
- After a fun night
of conversation,
it was time
to wrap things up.
But before leaving, I wanted
to make it clear to Jasmine
just how serious about her
Corey was.
- I hope it's not
too forward to ask,
but, uh...
Can I ask your
permission to kiss you?
- Oh, sure.
- But it wasn't
gonna happen now,
because I told her I wanted
our first kiss to be special.
I was thinking
we can do it
right when I step off
that wire.
- That'd be cool.
- Yeah.
[chuckling]
Okay.
With Jasmine
consenting to a kiss,
I was one step closer
to getting Corey
a real relationship.
But after she left,
I found myself
strangely surprised
by my own confidence.
There was something about being
in another person's skin
that made all
my social anxiety vanish.
And I didn't feel ready
to call it a night just yet.
- My friend Maureen
is from Boston.
- Boston?
[Boston accent
Oh, hi, I'm from Boston.
I love Ben Affleck.
[laughter]
I was able to charm
complete strangers.
It was a side of me
I had never seen before.
- Thank you, bother.
- Yeah, of course, anytime.
- What's your name?
- Corey.
Do you guys like dancing?
It was nice, for once,
to have a night away
from all my insecurities.
And as it came to an end,
I actually felt a bit sad,
knowing that I'd soon
have to go back to being me.
With the day of the wire walk
fast approaching,
I had Corey's grandparents
brought to Los Angeles
to witness the big event.
So far, they had
been kept completely
in the dark about everything.
But shortly after
their arrival,
I began receiving
some troubling messages
on Corey's phone.
- We haven't heard from you
in a few days, honey.
Is everything okay?
We're getting concerned.
- His grandparents
had found out
about the wire walk
from one of the
newspaper ads
we were running
and became so concerned
that they insisted
on seeing their grandson
in person.
This was a big problem.
I knew my Corey disguise
and impression were good,
but to fool his own family
would take some
additional effort.
So I sent our sound guy
out to the Mojave Desert
and had him record Corey
saying a specific
series of phrases
that I had written.
- Yeah, sure.
Don't worry.
Everything's
going to be okay.
- Corey had no idea
why we needed this,
but I was able to use
these audio clips
to create a digital soundboard
that would allow me
to have any conversation
I wanted in his actual voice.
- I agree.
- I then arranged
to meet Corey's grandparents
at their hotel.
But since I didn't want them
to see me up close,
I hired an actress
to pose as a hotel manager
and inform them that no one
was allowed in or out.
- We just have a suspicious man
on the loose.
We're checking it out
right now.
So please just stay
in your room.
- Then I texted them
from across the street,
telling them to go out
on their balcony.
Now I just had to pray
that this would work.
- Hi, Grandma.
Hi, Grandpa.
- Corey!
- There he is!
- Hi!
- Hey, Corey!
- It's so great
to see you.
- It's great to see you.
- It's good to be here.
- The hotel was
all blocked in.
They won't let
me inside.
We'll have to
talk like this.
- You okay?
- Yes.
Just don't worry
about me.
I've been
training hard,
and I'll be
totally safe.
- You better be!
- Yes.
I need to go now.
- Okay.
- But just know I'm safe
and feeling great.
I'll see you both
at the big event.
- We love you!
- Love you, Corey.
- Yes.
- Bye!
- It worked like a charm.
And Corey's grandparents
didn't suspect a thing.
- Is he in that van
over there?
I can't tell.
- I think so.
- And once we were
out of sight,
I had the fake manager
defuse the situation.
- The gunman has
been killed.
And you are free now
to go around the hotel
as freely as you'd like--
- He--someone was killed
in the hotel?
- With Corey's grandparents
put at ease,
I could now refocus
on getting in
some last-minute practice,
working privately with
aerial arts expert
Richie Gaona.
But what I didn't expect
was the psychological shock
to my system
when we increased the height
of my training wire.
My brain just wouldn't allow me
to take a single step.
And I became seriously
concerned that
once I was up
on that rooftop,
my body might
completely shut down.
But with my team
already under way
constructing the rigging
for the wire walk,
there was no turning back now.
- The day had finally arrived
for Corey to be transformed
into a hero
in front of the eyes
of the nation.
So early that morning,
I sent my crew
to retrieve him
from the desert...
- Come with us.
- And covertly transport him
into the city.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop,
a team of experts rigged
a 3/4 inch steel wire
that would be my only support
as I attempted to walk
across the terrifying
80-foot drop.
And with the final preparations
under way,
news outlets were already
arriving on site,
And a crowd of spectators
began to gather below.
My plan was to cross from
the north to south rooftop,
where a secret switch
would take place,
and the real Corey would emerge
for his kiss with Jasmine.
It had been a week since
she last saw me up close,
so my hope was that
once I switched with Corey,
any minor discrepancies
in our appearance
would go unnoticed.
So with Jasmine now in position
on the rooftop
and Corey's grandparents
looking on below,
I had Corey brought
from the van
into a holding area
downstairs.
And once he was changed into
his wire walking suite,
it was time to bring him
up to speed.
Take off your hood.
- Hey.
- Hey.
How are you?
- Uh...
I'm doing good.
A little confused
at what's
going on right now,
but, uh--
- It's me--Nathan.
- Yeah.
- You knew?
- Yeah.
I could kind of
recognize your voice
under there, but, yeah.
- Time was of the essence.
So I quickly explained
to Corey my plan
for the big wire walk event.
- So that's what
we're gonna do right now,
is, we're--
you're gonna do that,
and then we'll pretend
it's me who did it?
- Yes.
Corey, are you ready
to be a hero?
- Uh...
I guess we have it
all set up,
so kind of
got to do it now.
Um...
- With Corey on board,
I updated him on everything
I had done with his life
while he was away.
This is your
girlfriend.
Jasmine.
She's already consented
to kissing you.
Okay?
- Okay.
- And I would avoid
using too much tongue.
- Yeah, I'm probably
gonna use none.
Yeah, just like--
- Okay.
Just wanted to make sure.
- Just kiss.
- Okay, good.
Now I just had to
get him to the rooftop
without being seen.
So to get you up there,
I'm gonna put you
in this bag.
- Oh, okay.
- I told Corey that after
his kiss with Jasmine,
he would deliver
a pre-written speech
and then present a check
to a breast cancer charity,
which would cement him
as a hero.
So with everyone in place,
it was time for
the event to begin.
[crowd cheering]
- Come on, Corey.
[dramatic music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
♪
- It was the most thrilling
moment of my life.
And even though the plan
was to only cross once,
I wasn't ready to stop
being Corey just yet.
[dramatic music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
- I crossed the wire
five more times,
and I could've kept going.
But I knew I had
a promise to keep.
So it was time for me
to enter the tent
and give Corey his life back.
All right.
You take it from here, okay?
- All right, okay.
- Okay.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God,
I'm so proud of you.
That was crazy--did you hear
everybody cheering for you?
- Yeah.
- How was it?
- It was pretty crazy.
It's really good
to see you, Jasmine.
- It's good
to see you too.
Wow, my gosh,
I'm so proud of you.
That was crazy.
You did it so many times.
You kept going
back and forth.
- [sighs]
It's really hot.
- Yeah.
- Um...
Want to--
you want to kiss now?
- Definitely.
- Okay.
[both giggling]
- Oh, you got
soft lips.
Thank you.
[giggles]
- Okay, let me--
I need to go do that.
- Okay.
- [laughs]
Oh. All right.
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[laughs]
So...
What a moment.
Thank you, everyone,
for supporting me,
as I walked the wire
to inspire you
and raise awareness
for breast cancer.
[crowd cheering]
I'd also--
[laughs]
Oh...
I'd also like to thank my
beautiful girlfriend, Jasmine,
for giving me
the courage to do this.
She's my rock.
[laughs]
Oh...
Jasmine, I love you.
- [chuckles]
What?
- I am living proof
that anyone can become a hero.
Never stop dreaming.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[cheers and applause]
[police siren wailing]
[sighs]
- Well, that
was exciting.
- Yeah, I'm, uh...
Definitely ready to be
down lower to the ground.
- Yeah.
[instrumental music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "Corey"]
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd cheering]
- Thank you.
- Quite a sight this afternoon
in downtown L.A.
Amateur tightrope walker
Corey Calderwood
of Ventura calmly strolled
from rooftop to rooftop
80 feet above the pavement.
- Oh, it's good
to see you.
- It's good to see you.
- Corey, I can't believe--
- I can't believe it.
I can't believe it.
- Don't you ever do that again.
[indistinct chatter]
- I can't believe it.
I cannot believe it.
I can't believe it.
- It's like
muscle memory instinct,
and my mind just was blank.
It was just like...
Getting it done.
It was just a big rush
of adrenaline.
And I feel like
there was no real thoughts
going in my head;
it was just, like, doing it.
- Calderwood says he did
this stunt to raise awareness
for Metavivor, a national
organization that funds
breast cancer research.
So bravo to him.
- Wow.
- That's great, son.
- Grandma, Grandpa,
this is Jasmine.
- Hello.
- Jasmine!
How are you?
- I'm fine. How are you?
- Hi, Jasmine,
nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet
you guys too.
I'm so proud of
your grandson.
- Well...
- He's incredible.
- We're proud of him too.
- Yes.
- You did something
that I never, ever
thought would be
possible from you.
- Now, are you...
what happens now?
[instrumental music]
♪
- Anytime somebody does
anything like
life-risking for a good cause,
I'm all for that.
- Raising awareness for cancer,
that's awesome.
So many people struggle
with that these days.
- Well, I thought
he was very brave.
- And, I mean, for a cause.
It was breast cancer, right?
Yeah, that's good.
Right now, I'm on a rooftop
in the heart of historic
downtown Los Angeles,
overseeing
the final preparations
for what could be
one of the most
astonishing events
to ever be broadcast
on television,
an event that could change
a man's life forever.
This is Corey,
an ordinary guy whose
life is in a rut.
But two weeks ago,
I secretly took over
Corey's entire identity
with one goal in mind:
to transform
a totally unremarkable man
into a national hero.
How will I do it?
Well, if everything
goes as planned,
in just moments,
a crowd below
will be inspired as Corey
steps off this rooftop
and performs a death-defying
tightrope walk for charity.
But what no one will know
is that the man
who's really walking that wire
will be me.
[suspenseful music]
I've always believed
that there's a hero
inside each
and every one of us.
So nine months ago,
to inspire you,
I began working
on a secret project
to prove that even
the most unlikely people
have the potential
for greatness.
Can anyone become a hero?
Well, tonight,
you're about to find out.
♪
When I decided I wanted
to transform someone's life,
I knew I needed
to find a person
who was beyond hopeless.
So I sent out
a team of producers
to scour food courts,
coffee shops, gas stations,
and comic book stores,
looking for people
who wanted a better life.
The producers told them
they were recruiting
for a new reality show,
in which participants
would receive a life makeover.
And after an exhaustive
search that lasted weeks,
someone finally caught my eye.
- My name is
Corey Calderwood, and, uh...
I work at an arcade
right now three days a week.
- Corey was single,
stuck in a dead-end job,
and lived with his parents.
He didn't seem to have
any life plans whatsoever,
so I paid him a visit
at his home
in Ventura, California,
with an offer to change
his life forever.
Are you happy
with where you're at
in your life right now?
- Uh...
Most of the time,
I'd say I have those moments
where you feel like
it could be better, you know?
There's things
that I still want,
I guess.
- Corey spends
most of his days
caring for his parents' house
where he still lives,
playing video games,
and organizing
his collection of
"Magic: The Gathering" cards.
- Just a fun little way
to pass some time.
- But since his mom and stepdad
are away in Hawaii
on business most of the year,
his grandparents have become
his main caregivers.
And they, too, would like
to see more from Corey.
- He has a great
potential.
He just doesn't
either know how to
achieve it
or to get into it.
He just seems to be
gliding through
life right now.
- Just slip-sliding away.
- Slip-sliding away.
- Corey was
the perfect candidate.
But I had to make sure
he was willing
to play by my rules.
I should tell you,
that you won't have
much information
throughout this process.
And once we get started,
you will be
completely cut off
from the outside world.
- All right.
That is interesting.
- But I can tell you
that if you do this,
by the time I'm done,
you will reemerge
as a national hero.
So...
Are you in?
- Yeah.
- You sure?
- Sure.
- With Corey on board
and a legal liability waiver
signed,
I could now begin the process
of learning everything
about him, as my plan
would soon require me
to secretly take over
Corey's life.
- My stepdad travels
for his work.
I definitely find braces
to be really cute,
for some reason.
I like alfredo pasta.
And I worked at
a call center.
I've worked at
a recycling factory.
My favorite movie
of all time was "Tommy Boy."
I just say "cool beans"
a lot.
- Cool beans.
- Cool beans.
- But learning facts about
Corey wouldn't be enough,
as my plan would require me
to physically become him.
So I asked him to give me
a tour of his bedroom,
with the real purpose
of secretly
studying his mannerisms
and the way he moved.
- Well, normally,
I mean--
I just go on for
a little bit.
- But to pull this off,
my resemblance to Corey
would have to go further.
So the next day, we told him
he'd have to take
a routine physical
to make sure he was fit enough
to participate in the show.
But what Corey didn't know
is that the doctor
was actually four-time
Emmy-nominated makeup artist
Vincent Van Dyke,
who, in the guise of
performing some
routine medical tests...
- So this is gonna just
test for epilepsy.
I'm just gonna have you
close your eyes, okay?
- Was able to secure
our most crucial asset
for my transformation:
a full 3-D laser scan
of Corey's face.
[dramatic music]
- All right,
thank you so much.
I appreciate it.
- No problem.
- With his digitized
facial map on file,
I had it sent
to a 3-D printer
to create
a life-size replica bust.
And once complete, it was
delivered to Vincent's studio
in Burbank, where he began
the process of casting the mold
for the latex prosthetic
that would turn me
into Corey Calderwood.
But for what
I was about to do next,
I had to get
the real Corey out of town.
Just so you don't know
where you're going,
I'm gonna put this bag
over your head.
Is that okay?
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Okay.
You can breathe okay?
- Yeah.
- Once I assumed
his identity,
there couldn't be two of us.
Okay, you comfortable?
- Yeah.
- So I needed to
completely isolate Corey
from the rest of the world--
away from phones, internet,
and especially his family.
The road ends here, okay?
So we're gonna go into
a helicopter.
[indistinct chatter]
[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]
♪
[indistinct chatter]
All right.
- Oh, that's bright.
That is a big
eye adjustment.
- So you can kind of see,
you got everything you need.
I had fully stocked a trailer
with enough supplies
for Corey to survive
while I hid him
in a remote corner
of the Mojave Desert.
Do you like this brand,
Market Pantry?
- I don't think
I've had it before,
but I'll find out.
- Yeah.
After showing him how to use
the portable toilet...
- Oh, yeah.
- I took possession
of his ID cards,
keys, and cell phone.
Nice case.
Where'd you get this?
- Oh, it was
my mom's old phone.
- Oh, yeah, I was thinking
it looks kind of girly.
- I know.
- Yeah.
- Are you guys
gonna come by
and check on me
periodically, or is it,
I'm out here
for two weeks,
then you show up
and I head back?
- Yes.
And with Corey
squared away,
I was off.
[helicopter whirring]
[dramatic music]
♪
- Walking a wire is one
of the most inspiring acts
a human can do.
So for the past seven months,
I've been teaching myself
how to balance
on a 1/2 inch
steel tightrope.
When I first attempted this,
I couldn't even
stay on the wire
for more than a few seconds
at a time.
But after days and days
and hundreds of hours
of relentless practice,
I began to get
the hang of it.
And just a week
before meeting Corey,
I was finally good enough
to make it across a wire
suspended 5 feet
in the air.
But to turn someone
into a national hero,
I would need the spectacle
to be much bigger.
So I picked a pair of buildings
in downtown Los Angeles
to be the platform
for a death-defying wire walk
80 feet above the ground.
Now I just had to
convince the public
that another man
would be doing it.
So with Corey laying low
in the desert,
I worked round the clock
to master my impersonation.
I love specifically,
like, alfredo pasta.
And once the prosthetic
and custom body suit
were ready,
we began the 4 1/2 hour
application process
that would complete
my transformation
into Corey Calderwood.
And then I headed into
the first media appearance
I had booked for Corey
to promote the big event.
- 95.5, KLOS.
- So you're gonna get on a wire
in downtown Los Angeles,
and it's something--
you're not a tightrope walker?
- No.
- This isn't what you do?
- Just started learning
to wire walk six months ago.
It's totally new for me.
- I can't imagine you
being on a high wire
with thousands,
possibly, of people--
- A lot of people
have been saying that
what I'm doing is inspiring
and heroic, you know?
But I--I really don't
see it that way.
My goal is to raise awareness
for breast cancer
and the charity Metavivor,
specifically.
- Well, then
you are a hero.
- Yes!
- I hope you make it--
- Well, I don't
see it that way.
I don't really see
myself as a hero,
but thank you for
saying that; that is nice.
- Did breast cancer affect you
personally in some way?
- No.
The radio appearance
couldn't have gone better.
And with millions
of people listening,
I was hopeful
it would draw a crowd.
But there was still
one issue I had to resolve.
When I first met Corey,
he opened up to me
about something
he was struggling with.
- It would be good
to be in a relationship.
It gets lonely when
you're not with someone
for a while, you know.
- I was worried that
if his love life
remained unfulfilled, he might
not have the confidence
he would need to step into
his new role as a hero.
So I decided to
create an online
dating account for Corey
that I populated
with photos
from his Facebook page.
I also created some new images
that would help portray
Corey as a sensitive guy
that women
would be unable to resist.
And shortly after uploading
them to his profile,
it seemed to work,
as by the next morning,
I had a response
from a lovely woman
named Jasmine,
who seemed like she might be
a good fit for Corey.
And after telling her
that a camera crew
was following me because
I was gonna be performing
a death-defying wire walk,
she instantly agreed
to go on a date,
which I set
for the following night.
My goal was to establish
a relationship
that Corey would
ultimately take over.
So I tried my best
to portray a realistic
but charming version
of the man whose skin I was in.
I just spend most of
my time in Ventura.
You know?
- Really?
- Not the greatest place.
But it's kind of hard
to talk about myself with
a goddess sitting
right in front of me.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah, sorry.
Is that a bit cheesy,
or...
- No, it's actually
really sweet.
Nobody's ever
called me that before.
- I was immediately
surprised at how well
the date was going,
as in these situations,
I'm usually
a lot more nervous.
- Back in high school, I was
actually on the debate team.
- Wow.
- Yep.
- So what's it like
to debate with you, then?
- Um, I'm pretty good.
- I bet you're
a pretty good arguer.
- Yeah, I'm pretty good
at debating.
- Should we try to
debate something now?
Or--
I don't know.
Just a silly joke.
We don't
have to do that.
And ten minutes in,
not only were
Corey and Jasmine
hitting it off...
- So have you
actually tried
walking across
a building yet?
- No.
- Wow.
- Yeah.
- It's gonna be nerve-racking.
- They also had
a lot in common.
- Do you play "Sims" at all?
- I do, yes.
- Yeah, so do I.
It's my go-to pleasure.
- Oh, yes.
It's a guilty
pleasure for me.
I love "Sims."
- Yeah.
- Cool beans.
- I like that expression.
- After a fun night
of conversation,
it was time
to wrap things up.
But before leaving, I wanted
to make it clear to Jasmine
just how serious about her
Corey was.
- I hope it's not
too forward to ask,
but, uh...
Can I ask your
permission to kiss you?
- Oh, sure.
- But it wasn't
gonna happen now,
because I told her I wanted
our first kiss to be special.
I was thinking
we can do it
right when I step off
that wire.
- That'd be cool.
- Yeah.
[chuckling]
Okay.
With Jasmine
consenting to a kiss,
I was one step closer
to getting Corey
a real relationship.
But after she left,
I found myself
strangely surprised
by my own confidence.
There was something about being
in another person's skin
that made all
my social anxiety vanish.
And I didn't feel ready
to call it a night just yet.
- My friend Maureen
is from Boston.
- Boston?
[Boston accent
Oh, hi, I'm from Boston.
I love Ben Affleck.
[laughter]
I was able to charm
complete strangers.
It was a side of me
I had never seen before.
- Thank you, bother.
- Yeah, of course, anytime.
- What's your name?
- Corey.
Do you guys like dancing?
It was nice, for once,
to have a night away
from all my insecurities.
And as it came to an end,
I actually felt a bit sad,
knowing that I'd soon
have to go back to being me.
With the day of the wire walk
fast approaching,
I had Corey's grandparents
brought to Los Angeles
to witness the big event.
So far, they had
been kept completely
in the dark about everything.
But shortly after
their arrival,
I began receiving
some troubling messages
on Corey's phone.
- We haven't heard from you
in a few days, honey.
Is everything okay?
We're getting concerned.
- His grandparents
had found out
about the wire walk
from one of the
newspaper ads
we were running
and became so concerned
that they insisted
on seeing their grandson
in person.
This was a big problem.
I knew my Corey disguise
and impression were good,
but to fool his own family
would take some
additional effort.
So I sent our sound guy
out to the Mojave Desert
and had him record Corey
saying a specific
series of phrases
that I had written.
- Yeah, sure.
Don't worry.
Everything's
going to be okay.
- Corey had no idea
why we needed this,
but I was able to use
these audio clips
to create a digital soundboard
that would allow me
to have any conversation
I wanted in his actual voice.
- I agree.
- I then arranged
to meet Corey's grandparents
at their hotel.
But since I didn't want them
to see me up close,
I hired an actress
to pose as a hotel manager
and inform them that no one
was allowed in or out.
- We just have a suspicious man
on the loose.
We're checking it out
right now.
So please just stay
in your room.
- Then I texted them
from across the street,
telling them to go out
on their balcony.
Now I just had to pray
that this would work.
- Hi, Grandma.
Hi, Grandpa.
- Corey!
- There he is!
- Hi!
- Hey, Corey!
- It's so great
to see you.
- It's great to see you.
- It's good to be here.
- The hotel was
all blocked in.
They won't let
me inside.
We'll have to
talk like this.
- You okay?
- Yes.
Just don't worry
about me.
I've been
training hard,
and I'll be
totally safe.
- You better be!
- Yes.
I need to go now.
- Okay.
- But just know I'm safe
and feeling great.
I'll see you both
at the big event.
- We love you!
- Love you, Corey.
- Yes.
- Bye!
- It worked like a charm.
And Corey's grandparents
didn't suspect a thing.
- Is he in that van
over there?
I can't tell.
- I think so.
- And once we were
out of sight,
I had the fake manager
defuse the situation.
- The gunman has
been killed.
And you are free now
to go around the hotel
as freely as you'd like--
- He--someone was killed
in the hotel?
- With Corey's grandparents
put at ease,
I could now refocus
on getting in
some last-minute practice,
working privately with
aerial arts expert
Richie Gaona.
But what I didn't expect
was the psychological shock
to my system
when we increased the height
of my training wire.
My brain just wouldn't allow me
to take a single step.
And I became seriously
concerned that
once I was up
on that rooftop,
my body might
completely shut down.
But with my team
already under way
constructing the rigging
for the wire walk,
there was no turning back now.
- The day had finally arrived
for Corey to be transformed
into a hero
in front of the eyes
of the nation.
So early that morning,
I sent my crew
to retrieve him
from the desert...
- Come with us.
- And covertly transport him
into the city.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop,
a team of experts rigged
a 3/4 inch steel wire
that would be my only support
as I attempted to walk
across the terrifying
80-foot drop.
And with the final preparations
under way,
news outlets were already
arriving on site,
And a crowd of spectators
began to gather below.
My plan was to cross from
the north to south rooftop,
where a secret switch
would take place,
and the real Corey would emerge
for his kiss with Jasmine.
It had been a week since
she last saw me up close,
so my hope was that
once I switched with Corey,
any minor discrepancies
in our appearance
would go unnoticed.
So with Jasmine now in position
on the rooftop
and Corey's grandparents
looking on below,
I had Corey brought
from the van
into a holding area
downstairs.
And once he was changed into
his wire walking suite,
it was time to bring him
up to speed.
Take off your hood.
- Hey.
- Hey.
How are you?
- Uh...
I'm doing good.
A little confused
at what's
going on right now,
but, uh--
- It's me--Nathan.
- Yeah.
- You knew?
- Yeah.
I could kind of
recognize your voice
under there, but, yeah.
- Time was of the essence.
So I quickly explained
to Corey my plan
for the big wire walk event.
- So that's what
we're gonna do right now,
is, we're--
you're gonna do that,
and then we'll pretend
it's me who did it?
- Yes.
Corey, are you ready
to be a hero?
- Uh...
I guess we have it
all set up,
so kind of
got to do it now.
Um...
- With Corey on board,
I updated him on everything
I had done with his life
while he was away.
This is your
girlfriend.
Jasmine.
She's already consented
to kissing you.
Okay?
- Okay.
- And I would avoid
using too much tongue.
- Yeah, I'm probably
gonna use none.
Yeah, just like--
- Okay.
Just wanted to make sure.
- Just kiss.
- Okay, good.
Now I just had to
get him to the rooftop
without being seen.
So to get you up there,
I'm gonna put you
in this bag.
- Oh, okay.
- I told Corey that after
his kiss with Jasmine,
he would deliver
a pre-written speech
and then present a check
to a breast cancer charity,
which would cement him
as a hero.
So with everyone in place,
it was time for
the event to begin.
[crowd cheering]
- Come on, Corey.
[dramatic music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
♪
- It was the most thrilling
moment of my life.
And even though the plan
was to only cross once,
I wasn't ready to stop
being Corey just yet.
[dramatic music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
- I crossed the wire
five more times,
and I could've kept going.
But I knew I had
a promise to keep.
So it was time for me
to enter the tent
and give Corey his life back.
All right.
You take it from here, okay?
- All right, okay.
- Okay.
- Hey.
- Oh, my God,
I'm so proud of you.
That was crazy--did you hear
everybody cheering for you?
- Yeah.
- How was it?
- It was pretty crazy.
It's really good
to see you, Jasmine.
- It's good
to see you too.
Wow, my gosh,
I'm so proud of you.
That was crazy.
You did it so many times.
You kept going
back and forth.
- [sighs]
It's really hot.
- Yeah.
- Um...
Want to--
you want to kiss now?
- Definitely.
- Okay.
[both giggling]
- Oh, you got
soft lips.
Thank you.
[giggles]
- Okay, let me--
I need to go do that.
- Okay.
- [laughs]
Oh. All right.
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[laughs]
So...
What a moment.
Thank you, everyone,
for supporting me,
as I walked the wire
to inspire you
and raise awareness
for breast cancer.
[crowd cheering]
I'd also--
[laughs]
Oh...
I'd also like to thank my
beautiful girlfriend, Jasmine,
for giving me
the courage to do this.
She's my rock.
[laughs]
Oh...
Jasmine, I love you.
- [chuckles]
What?
- I am living proof
that anyone can become a hero.
Never stop dreaming.
Thank you.
[crowd cheering, clapping]
[cheers and applause]
[police siren wailing]
[sighs]
- Well, that
was exciting.
- Yeah, I'm, uh...
Definitely ready to be
down lower to the ground.
- Yeah.
[instrumental music]
♪
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting "Corey"]
[indistinct chatter]
[crowd cheering]
- Thank you.
- Quite a sight this afternoon
in downtown L.A.
Amateur tightrope walker
Corey Calderwood
of Ventura calmly strolled
from rooftop to rooftop
80 feet above the pavement.
- Oh, it's good
to see you.
- It's good to see you.
- Corey, I can't believe--
- I can't believe it.
I can't believe it.
- Don't you ever do that again.
[indistinct chatter]
- I can't believe it.
I cannot believe it.
I can't believe it.
- It's like
muscle memory instinct,
and my mind just was blank.
It was just like...
Getting it done.
It was just a big rush
of adrenaline.
And I feel like
there was no real thoughts
going in my head;
it was just, like, doing it.
- Calderwood says he did
this stunt to raise awareness
for Metavivor, a national
organization that funds
breast cancer research.
So bravo to him.
- Wow.
- That's great, son.
- Grandma, Grandpa,
this is Jasmine.
- Hello.
- Jasmine!
How are you?
- I'm fine. How are you?
- Hi, Jasmine,
nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet
you guys too.
I'm so proud of
your grandson.
- Well...
- He's incredible.
- We're proud of him too.
- Yes.
- You did something
that I never, ever
thought would be
possible from you.
- Now, are you...
what happens now?
[instrumental music]
♪
- Anytime somebody does
anything like
life-risking for a good cause,
I'm all for that.
- Raising awareness for cancer,
that's awesome.
So many people struggle
with that these days.
- Well, I thought
he was very brave.
- And, I mean, for a cause.
It was breast cancer, right?
Yeah, that's good.